Railway-switch.



H.' B. NICHOLS.

RAILWAY l SWITCH. APPLIOATIOI FILED SEPT. 12, 1906. REIEWED DBO. 18. 1907. l

Patented Oct. 13,1908. 4 BEBBTFIIBBT 1.

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H. B. NICHOLS.

Y RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1906. RBNEWED DEO. 18, 1907.

Patented 0013. `13, 1908. 4 suns-snm z.

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H. B. NICHOLS. RAILWAY swrrcH.

PPLIOATIDN FILED SEPT. 12, 1908. BENEWED Ima-18,1907.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

's2/Vi himno H.V B. NICHOLS. RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLIuAnoN FILED s111112, lsoa. nnNzwnD nso. 1s, 1901.

Patented Oct. 13, 1908. 4 SHEETS-sum1' 4.

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sTATEsI PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY B. NICHOLS, O'F PHILADELYHILPENNSYLVNIA.

BAIDWAY-BWIECH.

Bpeciccm of. Lette!! Patent. 'Patented-'0615. 1'3, 1G08. Mlnnllo. 834,385. Renewed December 18, w. Saddle.

it magconcem: looking in the direction of the mow z in Be it known that I, Hinter B. Nlcnom, a Fig. 1. Figst, 7-and8 are to? end,

timn of ,the United States, residing at and side views, res ivcly, n .switch ndellphim in the countyofPhiladtlphial ton e, removed. igs. 9, 10 and p11 .arc 50 l, Pennsylvania, .fhave invented sim r views rpectvely ofthe-heel glatte w and vuseful :Improvements in or switch tongue abutment, removed. .1

i i aiylwiitches, of which the following 12,131ancl14 arerespectivelygplanfei ibrnltion, reference being had 'there- Iand end viewsof one side b removed.

to'ithenccompan ing drawing. Fig. 15 is a jplan viewof both side lblocks e5 13".;r y invention re tes to railway switches,`

und has im its `object the Erovision of a iv ferringto thedrawin?, and particuwfbwiftchotthis character whic shellbe-eimr Larly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 ,and #have indicated `in its construction, without any pivot the body of .the switch to e by the -nu *mi mmhe switch tongue, and Aat the .swine merel 1. This bodyis usua y of cast metal, 70

time economical 'to manufacture and :free` made ki-shaped in cross section vwith eide Mmm excessive wear or deterioration under` flanges or .webs ,3, `having foot ,da 4 #wavy see'vice conditions. adapted to restupon 4a suitable ffcun ation .f Bniey stated, my invention comprises a which is usually a standardeoncrete mono- .milway switch consist' of a body portion' lith, but which maybe formedl of ycross-tics 75 euhm suitable construction, apinless tongue? or sleepers orin any other well known and ,Heee on'fthe body portion and having a censuitable manner. This` body, 1, has twoalatbearing at its extreme .rear end, zand E` eralprojecting boxes, endx which I 7prefer .l-,rigidmwnns `-for/Inward of said bear-inganni into cast integral with the F1a eser 'fptermedlte theends of the tongue, for holdribs, 7 and 8, unite the bod and the` xes so -theztengfue'back against such bearingu on their under sides, .for st' eningmin u1P05915- f, Jfl means: may also be conveniently Extending across between the evianges vtoheidtheetongne downto itsbed 3, the body has .a tnansverse member ,2 and v 'f oracansaand 'the constrnctienof the nterupwardly extending dan es .11,bctweenand ing beurin Ais nlso prefenably such as to upon which is support amanganese vs 85 i assist in this action. structure carrying the switch tongueand the Yfhenrwention also includes means for adbearing suraces upon whichrthc wheels pase for the purpose of compensating over thevswitch. This structure is marked `'im' wen, .and `means Vfor excluding dirt orl with the numeral 12, and 'has a dat bottom j` other :foreign vmetteur from :the tonguei member which `Ilhave ealledasii-remos.plate 90 y); bm l13, with connected side angesor gj The v i portion ofthe structure may bei lei-marrying the heads 15 'which constitute ofanywve known-ty ,either with or withthe centinuations ofvthe rails and carry the out a isnraceplate, form of the tonguesl wheels over the switch. The switdbcongne l land orthe'holding down devices therefor 16 rests n on the surface plate lndtmovas 95 i may 'be changed, and `various means for adbetween t e sideangeslii. Theentime et '"l theholding down members may be structure 12, lies upon and between bfi Y u L. ggd ott-my invention. anges 11 en the body, 1ibe' mortal My `inwentionis ust-rated m the mcconb: .thereon thr .the fmednnn o a 1N ldrawings in whichof zinc or o suitable -metal-gpouf. `@in 100 @ivre 1 isf-n plan view of myswitch, es` aaftcnthe parte hn'veheenmccimatelymd. .mb ed, but with Ythe extreme endet-the .The convergingmail enrls 18 -amdl am imtditongue and body breken laway. Fig. secured to the switch'bodfy linwthepro 2 is la eide view 'of the pants shownin Fig. 'of casting, the eiectgprodncedbeingthntd l1, l M fintthe directlemof the arrow inj e cast weld, and thc'railsithe n becom- 105 oithelter. 'Fm ismtransversc sectional ing `rigidly and integmly at adtowhhe :line aa-.4v of Fig. 1, looking-'in :swatch structure. .Themnd ofthe bodyfwhich n -nff theznrmv vn. Figy `1e aa receivesftbe rails is. substantially ontheline the uppersm'faoes tbevemiandrtbie 'y' i in thediremion df lisent mtas indicated mtfend 21, in, 110 I1" ki1. [Figo ieia .dmpeftomeoeiweuthe heelnplalqreglmtmt .i 'entclearanwbewg'fallewefihetmu under side the p ate has two the walls of the opening and the plate to permit of proper adjustment, after which a zinc filler is poured in.

I do not claim herein the method of securing the heel plate, surface plate or other parts, since they have 721,382, dated February 24, 1903. Any suitable form of fastening may, however, be employed.

The plate 22 has grooves 23 and 24 formed in its upper surface, these constituting continuations of the grooves of the rails 18 and 19, and serving to receive the flanges of the wheels as they ass over the plate. On its projecting lugs or bosses 25 and 26, best shown in Figs. 10 and 11, but indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 9. These bosses are for the purpose of securing the plate in position, and to this end they extend down through an openin g formed in the transverse member of t e cast body. Each of the lu s has a recess or o ening 27 in its outer ace, and when the plate is in position these openings register with complementary openings 28 formed in the body to receive transverse pins or bolts indicated in dotted lines in 1I Iig. 1 and shown in end elevation at 29 in The main function of the plate 22 is to take the thrust from and furnish a bearing for the heel of the switch tongue 16. As an ancillary function, the late constitutes one of the members which ho ds the tongue down upon the surface plate 13. In order to take the thrust properly the plate has one side ground convex upon an arc whose center is indicated at 30 in Fig. 1. This therefore is the center about which .the switch tongue theoretically is rotatable, and so it is the center from which the angular distance through which the tongue moves must be reckoned. In order to hold the tongue down, the bearing plate is undercut around its curved side, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 at 31, and as clearly shown in Fig. 11. The heel of the tongue is concaved so as to move smoothly upon the convex surface of the plate, its arc of concavity being also circular and havin the same radius as the arc of convexity of t e plate.- This bearing surface on the tongue is made obligue as best shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 being therein indicated by the numeral 32. It underlies the over h hus constituting at a retainingl device.

-the tongue, being .45 which from the surface 32 on the heel. Directly forward from these projections the tongue is cut away as to its slde flanges as indicated at 34, for a purpose which will appear in due course. The projections 33 are for the purpose of holding back and holding down en aged by lin ers 35 and 36 of a pair of side locks 37 an 38, which constitute an important feature of the invention. These blocks are shown conjointly assembled to ether in Fig.- 15, and the block 38 is shown Ey itself in Figs. 12, 13 and 14. The block 38 is provided with a shank 39 which is bent and returned so as to give the entire structure the general shape of the letter L. The block 37 has a similar shank 40, similarly shaped. These two shanks are adapted to engage each other as shown in Fig. 15, so as to produce a unitary although not an integral structure, which may be acted upon as one by the shown 1n Fig. 3, but indio lines in Figs. 1 and 2. T he the Shanks 39 and 40 ext engage each other through a transverse opening 42 in the body 1. In thus engaging, and in order to prevent any lateral motion due to the action of the wedge, I provide a dowel or stud 43 on the shank 40 which extends into a recess 44 on the shank 39. When the opening through the body is suflicient to permit the two shanks to be inserted from opposite sides and engaged together as shown in Fig. 15, after-Which the insertion of the wedge 41 prevents their disengagement.

The lingers 35 and 36 extend through side openin in the flanges 11 and 14, these openings being long enough to permit some play so that the fingers can be adjusted upon the cams 33. In order to place the side blocks in position and remove them, as well as to adjust them, I provide the side boxes 5 and 6. The box 5 has really no eceive the side block removed; while the box 6 has of receiving the block 38,

nishing an the function and also of furabutment for the adjusting screw acts upon the wedge 41. This screw is of bronze, and is threaded into a cast iron block 46 which slides up and down in slots formed vertically between the fianges 10 and 100 (best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4). The end of the screw bears upon 'the head of the wedge at 41, and the head of the screw is rather heav and c lindrieal being rovided with a double set ofy openings 48 and) 49, the openings of each set being in quadrature so that the wedge can be set up by ei ht turns. In order to prevent the loss of a justment after setting up, a pin 50 is provided which is dropped into whichever the wedge is removed, the Width of.

crbthewpmings'happens tube verticaht the tongue, andof course thelatter can be lower :und wil engage between a inserted also `without removing the blocks.

j 'A' of llel ribs 5|). Least integral with Theton e may occasionally have to be re- -botibonifofthelbox moved or inding and I may state here il ofmy invention .will 4new `that the on y reason for making the heel 'm l a i t Amming thepartsfto bel all plate QZremoval'ile-is to permit of the 'grindi blades shown in 6 to `15 in` in of the bearing surface 31.

ybei Anuked andithe plate hile I have thus described a specific 4 Ap irrexin assembling and form of my invention, it will be understood 'ustin yis as ol'lows: IEhe surface `plate there are many changes possible in the de- 75 l iits `es:and'`treads'13, 14 and 15, are tails thereof without departing from the j d inzpositionxproperl adjusted and spirit of the invention. I reserve to myself t "fit er 17, the heel the right to make any and all such changes, i'. @2 in 'laced in position, with its lugs holding the same so far as they relate tononlllidm ropped throughthe openings iny essentials as within the intended scope of so dheiboddt i.s.'.adjusted, 'the filler inserted, theclaims appended hereto. 1nd the itmnsverse pins 29 are driven in. Having thus described my inventionwhat -Uhe .it/aligne .16 -in Figs. 6 and 8 is I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat.

then drop ed into position as sho-wn in Figs. ent is: .EN i llwflitoliti 132 restin underthe overhang 1. In a railway switch, a body, a pinless as -l-iofrthc' te 22. though they are not y tongue having a concave heel, and a bearing "Mn-*ini rai-drawings, I preferailfy rovide or heel plate secured upon the body and promdll lipiltfjectioms:ornboth sides e heelvided with a convex surface to receive the engage with the side walls 14 to heel of the tongue. :f ventioo much'lateral motion of the heel. 2. In a railway switch, a body, convergent 'no 1, 'nmrile the-.entire tongueimoves through a j rail ends, a pinless tongue in operative relacertain. larzdistnneewith respect to fthe tion therewith, said tongue having a bearing u utrthe-inovement of the heel 32 surface upon its heel, and a convex abutis'veuy m11, 4:is fthe switch tongue is long. ment or supporting bearing for said heel on D .A sl' htrcleam between the projections the body. 9.5 n x nf-amd the `side walls 14 is-entirely i 3. In a tongue switch, a body structure, a 'erm These projections, as well :as the ton e seated thereon `and having a concaved `of the heel `platte where they are cut hee end, a convex abutment for said end also j am 'un' orm grooves 23 and 24, and the having a holding down action thereon, an FUI projections of the tongue, are all combined holding down and holding back loo r.or `provided with oblique surfaces means engaging the tongue intermediate o j asielmw'nfat 60,'61 and. The side openits ends; substantially as described.

' Tit thei flanges 11 and .14 communi- 4. `In a tongue switch, a body structure, a

cutie wiirhftheinteriors of the boxes 5 and 6, pinless tongue seated therein and having ya and the effect of all of this is that any dirt centering bearin at its extreme rear end, 105 at amd kiii' other material which becomes` said tongue also aving a lateral projection i 1w in and labout the switch tongue, forward of said bearing, and rigid means enmy :smith-around thefingers Srand 36, and gaging such projectionto hold the tongue in .dm into fthe boxes, and may partly or l operative position in the structure, substan- .wholly Afill upthe various openings, but it, tially as described. 110

mlmot-bindthetongue against free move-` 5. In a railway switch, a body, convex'- mntsince the 'working back and forth.=tcnd i: nt rail ends, a tongue in operative-relation Ilm `to press the material between up; t rewith, said tongue having a bearing surmili inclined sinrmces which tend rto lift face upon its heel, and :an abutment or supit. T e tongue being in place, the side porting bearing for said heel onthe body,to 115 :are adjustedthrough theboxes 5 and gather with means to hold down'the tongue 6 `the merke `41 is placed in position, the` com rising an overhang orundercutportion Micarrying the screw 45 is dropped i on t e abutment, and side blocks engaging iltoits place, the screw is set up tightly and the tongue in opposition thereto.

MI5 thelpin 49`is finally dropped into position 6. In a railway switch, a body, couver 120 to rollin the radjustment. Obviously, the nt rail ends, a tongue in operative relatimi bomb-md 6 may fill u flush with dirt, etc., t erewithsaid tongue having a bearing sur but mcept in extraordinary cases, it will face upon its heel, and an abutment or suprarely be necem to getinto them, and in porting bearing for said heel on the body, to- `ellemffossoif: justifient, the screw head gather with means to hold down the tongl 135 j can be dug clear toqiermit of turning. The oomi-eising an overhang or undercut portion cut-may .ptinns'ofthe tongue permit its yon abutment, and a `pair of adjustable withdrawal b sim ly loosening thescrew aideblocks acting in opposition thereto. 45 sui as to a ow t e blocks 37 arid 38 to 7. In a railway switch, a body, couver movetback away frommherprojiectios 33 on gentrail aids, atonguelinioperailveirehn .130

therewith, said tongue having a bearing surface upon its heel, and an abutment or supporting bearing for said heel on the body, together with means to hold down'the tongue comprising an overhang or undercut portlon on t e abutment, a cam face or projection on the tongue, and an adjustable engaging member therefor.

8. In a railway switch, a body, convergent rail ends, a tongue in operative relation therewith, said tongue having a bearing surface upon its heel, and an abutment or supporting bearing for said heel on the body, together with means to hold down the ton e comprising an overhang or undercut port1on on the abutment, a pair of cam projections on the sides of the tongue, a pair of side blocks enga ing said cam projections, and means for a justing said side blocks.

9. In a rallway switch, a body, convergent rail ends, a tongue in operative relation therewith, said tongue having a bearing surface upon its heel, and an abutment or supporting bearing for said heel on the body, together with means to hold down the tongue, com rising an overhang or undercut portion on t e abutment, a palr of cam projections on the sides of the tongue, a pair of side blocks engaging said cam projections, and a wedge for adjusting the side blocks.

10. In a railway switch, a body, convergent rail ends, a tongue in operative relation therewith, said tongue having a bearing surface upon its heel on the body, together with means to hold down the tongue, comprising an overhang or undercut portion on the abutment, a pair of cam projections on the sides of the tongue, a pair of side blocks engaging said cam projections, and a transverse wedge with ateral cont-rolling means for ad'usting the said side blocks.

11. ln a railway switch, a body provided with side boxes, said body having a transverse opening connecting the cavities .of the sald boxes, a surface plate and treads on said body, together with converging rail ends and a switch tongue in operative relation thereto, said tongue adapted to have lateral motion upon the surface plate and between the treads, an abutment or bearing surface on the body and a face on the heel of the tongue and means for holding said tongue in proper relation with the abutment comprising an overhang and undercut portion on the abutment, a pair of cam projections on the sides of the tongue with their cam faces sloping away from the abutment, a pair of side blocks having Shanks adapted to drop below the complemental bearing sursurface plate and engage each other within the transverse opening 1n the body and upwardlfy and inwardly fprojecting `fingers to engage said cam sur aces on thek ton means for securing the Shanks on `the side blocks together in the transverse` opening,

and adjustin means working laterally into one or both o? the side boxes, and adapted to produce lon 'tudinal movement of both said blocks jointlj7 toward and away from the abutment, all substantially as described.

.12. In a railway switch, a body, a pinless tongue having a concave heel, and a bearing or heel plate removably secured upon the body and provided with a convex surface to receive the heel of the tongue.

13. In a railway switch, a body, convergent rail ends, a tongue in operative relation therewith, said tongue having a bearing surface upon its heel, an abutment or supporting bearing for the heel on said body, and means to hold the tongue down upon the body, said means comprising a pair of retaining members acting in opposition to the abutment.

14. In a railway switch, a body, convergent rail ends, a tongue in operative relation therewith, said tongue having a bearing surface upon its heel, an abutment or supporting bearing for said heel on the body, and means to hold the tongue down upon the body, said means comprising a pair of adjustable side blocks acting thereon.

15. In a railway switch, the'combination with a body, of convergent rail ends, a pinless tongue in operative relation therewith, said tongue having a bearing surface upon its heel, and a plurality of wedging devlces engaging parts of the same to hold the tongue in operative position upon the body.

16. In a railway switch, a body, a pinless tongue having a concave heel, and a convex bearing surface on the body to receive said heel, with means to hold the tongue down lfipon the body and against the bearing surace.

17. In a railway switch, the combination with a body, of convergent rail ends, a tongue in operative relation therewith and having a bearing surface resting on the body, means for securing the tongue in position, means for compensating for wear on said securing means, and wedging means on the tongue acting in conjunction with the body to prevent the accumulation of foreign matter.

18. In a railway switch, the combination with a body, of convergent rail ends, a tongue in operative relation therewith having a bearing surface u on its heel, devices engaging the tongue to old it in operative positlon on the body and wedges formed on the heel end of the tongue and acting in conjunction with the body to prevent accumulation of dirt in the bearin In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY B. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

Jas. S. CLIFFORD, WM. D. GHEDLEY. 

